What's a Lutheran?

The roots of the “Lutheran” denomination go back a long, long time. But, the specific term “Lutheran” refers to a 16th century guy named Martin Luther, who challenged the things that were being taught in churches at that time. Through a years long event called the Reformation, Martin Luther and others kept asking the same question, "What does the Bible say about this issue?" Luther discovered that the entire message of the Bible hinges on two things: Law and Gospel; Sin and grace; our need for forgiveness, and the forgiveness that is ours in Christ alone. We are called Lutherans because like Martin, we want to show what great news the Bible gives us: that Jesus died and rose to save us from our sins. 

When you join us for worship, you’ll notice our fierce commitment to stick to what the Bible teaches. Like Martin, we believe that the Bible is God's inspired Word, and therefore is the most important resource at our disposal. 

Martin Luther did not come up with this idea of focusing on the Bible’s teachings, but he was a key player in getting many churches to go back to the most important message. That is why we are proud to bear the name “Lutheran!”

Wondering what this all means about what we actually teach? Take a look at the following documents, which were written over the centuries to help clarify this confession of faith: